Latching device for load arms for spinning machines



IN VEN TOR. IWI/'gema fsu kz a WW Filed Feb. e, 1962 SHIGEMATSU TAKITA LATCHING DEVICE FOR LOAD ARMS FOR SPINNING MACHINES Jan. 12, 1965 United States Patent 3,164,867 LATCHING DEVICE EUR LQAD ARMS FR SPINNING MACHENES Shigematsu Taidta, Takarazuka, Hyogo, Japan, assigner to Meike Boki Co., Ltd., Nagoya, :tapan Filed Feb. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 171,522 15 Claims. (Cl. 19-267) This invention relates to textile drawing mechanisms for spinning machine-s and, more particularly, to latching mechanisms for the load arms of such machines.

It is the chief object of the invention to provide a latching mechanism of the type mentioned which is easily operated to maintain load arms either in operating or raised positions. j

A-nother object is to provide a mechanism as described which operates positively to hold the load .arms in operating position with their roller in pressing engagement with respective lower or backing roller-s, or, when desired, in upper or raised position in preparation for spinning.

Yet another object is to provide a latching mechanism which Iis Aversatile in use, relatively simple, easily and inexpensively fabricated, -long-lived Iand a ygeneral advance in the art.

Still another object is to provide, in a mechanism as aforesaid, a cover or hold-down member which is rotatable coaxially with the load arm between operating and raised positions and which when in operating position engages and positively holds the arm in corresponding position, together with means releasably latching the cover member in both operating and raised positions when moved thereto.

Another object is to provide means releasably effecting movement `of the arm from its operating to its raised positions by and in response to movement of the cover member between corresponding positions, and a single actuating lever by which the cover member is released from holddown or operating position and, when in raised position, released from such position and, when desired, subsequently released from the arm so that the latter may 'be lowered or rotated from its raised to its operating position independently of the hold-down member.

Other objects and advantages will become clear to those skilled in the art, after a study of the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawing'.

yIn the drawing.

iFIGURE 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of load arm mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the arm in closed or operating position; and

FIGURE 2 is a section taken in planes identified by the broken line 22, FIGURE l.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 'identifies a rod rigid with the frame of a textile drawing machine. AsV best seen upon FIG. 2, a split ring S is U-'shaped in a substantially vertical section through the axis of rod Lto form axially-spaced upstanding leg portions 8a and 8b having aligned'apertures to nt rod r1. In a manner obvious from inspectionof'the drawing, the ring is iixed to the rod in a position of axial adjustment therealong,'by clamping bolt 10. From IFIG. 1 it is seen that the split ring 8 is formed with an upwardly and `rearwardly extending nose .or projection 11. Also one leg portion such as 8a is formed with a notch or detent 12. The purpose of these elements is subsequently described.

Upper and lower load armsd and 5, respectively, are journaled upon rod 1. The arms support shafts 2 and 3, respectively, of `two sets of upper rollers whose purpose l.and function in pressing down upon corresponding lower rollers, not shown, are well known in the art and hence need not be described in detail.V

Each of these arms is composed of two parts adjustably interconnected soV that the radial distances of the respective shafts 2 and 3 from rod 1 may be adjusted and fixed. Thus, arm 4 which is essentially in the form of an inverted `U in transverse section, and which constitutes a radial portion, has its inner end fitting down over a corresponding-shaped portion ofl a base or hub portion 4' including spaced lugs, IFIG. 2, pierced to have a smooth tit on rod 1. The intentitting surfaces of arm 4 and its ibase porion 4 are slotted as clearly shown` upon FIG.`

l, to receive a bolt `6. fBy loosening the bolt, arm 4 may have lguided adjustment radially toward or from rod -1 whereupon tightening of the bolt rigidly uni-tes the ar-m to its support,

Lower arm 5 is similarly constructed, having its inner end of inverted -U `form to rit over the correspondingly shaped portion of its support 5. From lYFIG. 2 it is noted that the spaced lugs of support 4 are received with a smooth fit between the corresponding portions of ring 8. Likewise, the lugs of support S fit between lugs 4. The inter-fitting portions of arm 5 and its support 5 are slotted to receive a bolt 6 by which the arm may be .adjust-v ably yfixed to its support in the same way las has been previously described for arm 4. By the foregoing construction, the arms d and 5 are individually mounted for pivotal movement from the lowered or operating positions shown upon rFlG. 1 to an elevated or raised position in which the shafts 2 and 3 and the rollers mounted thereupon may be raised out of contact with the lower rollers, not shown. The right-hand leg portions 4 and 5', as the parts are viewed upon FIG. 2, areV also formed each with identical lugs or projections 9 which extend radially outwardly from the peripheries `of these portions.

A cover member 7 is formed of sheet metal andhas depending lugs or side walls which have apertures `fitting rod 1, and which embrace betweenthem the portions 8a and 8b of the ring 8, as shown upon FIG. 2. From FIG.

1 it is noted that cover 7 has a portion extending over` arms 4 and -S and engaging abutments 24, 24 carried by the respective arms and urged upwardly by coil springs 23 :and 23'. When ,the cover is locked in the lower or operating position shown, @by mechanism subsequently de- Cover 7 mounts three parallel shafts 13, 14, and 15- between its vertical depending side walls. A latch 16 is pivoted upon shaft 13 and, yas shown, at FIG. 2, has axially-spaced hubs which merge into a forward hook constructed and arranged in the position shown upon FIG.1, to fit over and about the nose 11 'of ring 8 and thus secure the cover in the lowered or operating position shown. A coil spring 17 is wound about shaft 13 between the hubs of latch 16 and has radially-extending ends engaging the latch and the central part of shaft 15. This spring is tensioned to urge latch 16 Y into clockwise rotation about shaft 13, as the parts are viewed upon FIG. 1, to thereby urge the latch out of holding engagement with the nose 11 of ring 8. y

Shaft 14 also journaled at its ends in the side walls of cover 7, has a squared central portion tting a correspondingly-shaped aperture in la lever 18 which extends upwardly through a slot 7 in the cover 7, then forwardly over .that portion of the cover over arms 4 and 5. A cam 19 is also mounted on the squared portion of the shaft 14 at one side of lever 18. As shown upon FIG. l, this cam engages `an upwardly-extending projection 16' of latch 16.V The construction is Isuch that when 'lever 18 is in the locking position shown, cam 19V engages latch 16 and holds it in position in engagement over nose 11 of` fixed ring 3, thus holding the arms 4 and 5 in operating position. When the lever is manually raised or rotated clockwise as viewed upon FIG. 1, the cam 19 is also rotated to permit raising or clockwise rotation of the latch under urge of spring 17 and corresponding rotation of arms 4 and 5 and cover 7.

Shaft 15, previously described as being journaled at its ends by and between the vertical walls of cover 7, has pawls 20 and 21 journaled thereon. As indicated upon FIG. 2, pawl 20 is at the right and pawl 21 at the left. A spring 22 is coiled about shaft 15 between these pawls and has projecting ends engaging the pawls and the adjacent wall of cover 7, to urge the lower end of the pawls into clockwise rotation about their shaft, as viewed at FIG. 1.

Pawl 20 has a lower depending end which is coplanar with the lugs 9 on both `supports 4' and 5' and, when in the normal position shown lies over these projections. A pin 20' is fixed with pawl 20 in position to engage the adjacent periphery of ring portion 8b and thus limit clockwise rotation of the pawl.

Pawl 21 has a lower depending hook which is coplanar with the notch 12 in ring portion 8a and, under the urge of spring 22, snaps beneath and into holding engagement with the notch when the cover is raised, as subsequently described. From FIG. 2 it is seen that the upper ends of pawls 20 and 21 project axially of rod 1 toward each other and terminate in contiguous ends lying in the rotational path of an actuating surface 18', FIG. l, formed upon lever 18.

When the parts are in the position shown upon FIG. 1, cam 19 engages the surface 16 of latch 16 to maintain it in holding engagement with nose or projection 11. Hence cover 7 is held in the operating position shown and in cooperation with the abutment and spring assemblies 23 and 23', acts to maintain the upper rollers in operating contact with the respective lower rollers, not shown.

When it is desired to elevate the arms 4, and the upper rollers carried thereby, lever 18 is first manually raised or rotated clockwise about shaft 14. This action effects a corresponding rotation of cam 19 to release latch 16 in an obvious manner so that the latch rotates free of nose 11 under urge of spring 17. On continued rotation of lever 1S, its surface 18' first engages pawls 20 and 21 and pivots them counterclockwise so that the lower end of pawl 20 is pivoted clear of ylugs 9 on arm supports 4 and 5'.

Cover 7 may now be raised or rotated clockwise, since latch 16 is now free of fixed projection 11. As the cover is thus rotated, shafts 13, 14, and journaled in the cover, correspondingly turn about the axis of rod 1. Since pawl is held clear of lugs 9, such turning has no effect upon arms 4 and 5. When the cover has been rotated to fully elevated or open position the hook upon the end of pawl 21 snaps into notch 12 and thus acts to hold the cover in the fully elevated or open position. Arms 4 and 5 may now be raised, and as they move to the fully elevated position, their lugs 9 first cam pawl 2f) counterclockwise. On further rotation of the arms, pawl 20, under the urge of spring 22, snaps behind the lugs and thus acts to hold the arms in the raised position.

From, FIG. 1 it will be noted that the portion of pawl 21 engaged by surface 18', lies a little forwardly of the corresponding portion of pawl 20. Thus for -a certain rotational position of lever 18, pawl 21 is turned counterclockwise `by the lever, While pawl 20 is left in its position behind lug 9. When it is desired to rotate the roller arms to operating position, lever 18 is first turned to the aforesaid position wherein the hook on pawl 21 is forced out of notch 12. This acts to release cover 7 so that the entire assembly including the arms 4, 5 cover 7 and lever 18 can be rotated counterclockwise to position the arms `and cover as shown. Finally, lever 18 is pressed down to the position of FIGURE 1 to thereby rotate cam 19 into the final position locking latch 16 over projection 11 of ring 8.

I have thus provided a load arm latch mechanism which fulfills all of the objects stated aforesaid. When the arms are in lowered or operating position, and lever 18 is down, cover 7 is positively locked in its operating position and correspondingly acts to hold the arms and top rollers journaled thereon, in positive loaded contact with the respective lower rollers. When lever 18 is raised, cover 7 is unlatched and the entire assembly of arms and cover can be raised. When this assembly is thus rotated about the axis of rod 1, to a position wherein the hook on latch 21 engages notch 12 of ring 8, the assembly is positively held in the open or elevated position and easily released by a slight movement of the lever about the axis of its shaft 14, to cause surface 18 to cam the latch out of the notch. When the assembly is in the fully raised position with the nose of latch 20 lying in the path of projections 9 of arm supports 4 and 5', the arms are correspondingly locked in such position, but can be independently released, if desired, by `appropriate turning of lever 18 to release latch 28 while holding the cover against counterclockwise movement. Since, as described, clockwise rotation of lever 18 causes surface 18 thereof to engage latch 21 a little prior to its engagement with latch 20, a certain position of lever 18 releases the arms and cover for lowering or rotation as a unit into the operating position.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In a load arm mechanism for a textile machine, a load arm comprising integrally connected hub and radial portions, an abutment carried by said radial portion, means mounting said hub portion for rotation about a fixed axis from a first operating position to a raised position, a member independently rotatable about said axis between said positions and in said first position engaging the said abutment of said arm to hold said arm in first position, first means operable to releasably hold said member in first position, second means operable to releasably hold said member in raised position, third means operable to releasably connect said member with said arm to rotate said arm to raised position, by and in response to movement of said member to raised position, and manually operable means carried by said member and movable in one direction to (a) release said first means (b) to engage and hold said second and third means in release position, sequentially, in the order mentioned.

2. A load arm mechanism as in claim l, said hub portion and said radial portion having interfitting inverted guide channel sections, extending in a plane normal to said axis, there being aligned slots in said sections in said plane, and bolt means passing through said slots to releasably secure said sections together, whereby the distance of the distal end of said radial portion from said axis may be varied.

3. In a load arm mechanism for a textile machine, a rod, first and second load arms each comprising a hub journaled on said rod and a radial portion, first and second abutments each carried by a respective one of said radial portions, a ring fixed about said rod and having axially spaced walls on respectively opposite sides of said hub portions, a member having depending axiallyspaced walls journaled on said rod and embracing the walls of said ring, said ring preventing axial movement of said hubs and member relatively to said rod, said member and arms being independently rotatable on said rod from a first operating position wherein said member engages said abutments to thereby hold said arms in operating position, to a second raised position, first means operable to releasably hold said member in operating position, second means operable to releasably hold said member in raised position when moved thereto, third means carried by said member and operable to releasably engage and raise said arms by and in response to pivoting of said member to raised position, and lever means pivoted on said member and operable in one direction of pivoting thereof relatively to said member, to release said first means and to move said second and third means to release position, sequentially and in the order mentioned.

4. A load arm mechanism as in claim 3, each said radial arm portion being yadjustable to vary the radial distance of itsvdistal end from said rod, and means for releasably fixing each said radial arm portion in adjustable position with respect to its hub.

5. In a load arm mechanism for a textile machine, a fixed rod, a load arm journaled on said rod for rotation about the axis thereof and having roller-support means at its distal end, abutment means carried by the distal end of said arm, a cover member including spaced depending Walls pournaled on said rod upon respective sides of said arm, for rotation from a first position engaging said abutment means of said arm to hold the same in operating position, to a second raised position freeing said arm for rotation to raised position, ring means fixed with said rod and including a projection, a latch pivoted between the Walls of said cover and engageable over said projection when said cover is in its said first position, and locking lever means journaled on said cover and including a cam engaging said latch and operable from a first position holding said latch engaged with said projection, to a second position freeing said latch to enable said cover and arm to be pivoted as a unit to their said second and raised positions.

6. A load arm mechanism for a spinning machine, comprising, a fixed rod, a load arm and a cover journaled on said rod for independent rotation about the axis thereof, an abutment carried by the distal end of said load arm, said cover being rotatable from a first position wherein said cover engages said abutment to thereby hold said arm in operating position, to a second raised position, ring means fixed with said rod and having a radial projection `and a notch, latch means carried by said cover and pivotable to a position engaging said projection when said arm and cover are in first position,

v to thereby releasably locksaid cover in said first position,

cam means journaled in said cover and operable to engage and hold said latch means in said locking position, ahandle fixed With said cam means externally of said cover, a first latch pivoted on said cover and having a hooked end engageable with said notch in said ring means when said cover is in raised position, and a spring engaging and urging said first latch into engagement with said ring means.

7. A load arm mechanism as in claim 6, said handle having a surface engaging and pivoting said first latch out of contact with said ring means on continued rotation of said cam means away from its locking position with respect to said cover.

8. A load arm mechanism for a spinning machine, comprising, Ia fixed rod, 1a load arm and a cover, both journaled on said rod for independent rotation about the axis thereof, an abutment carried by the distal end of said load arm, said cover being rotatable from a first position wherein said cover engages said abutment to thereby hold said arm in operating position, to a second raised position, a ring fixed with said rod and having a radial projection, first `and second shafts mounted in said cover parallel with said rod, latch means journaled on said first shaft for rotation from a first position er1- gaging said projection to releasably lock said cover in its first position, to a second position free of said projection, spring means engaging and urging said latch means to second position free of said projection, a cam fixed with said second shaft and rotatable therewith from a limiting position engaging and holding said latch means in first position, to another position releasing said latch means, and a manually-operable lever fixed with said second shaft exteriorly of said cover.

9. A load arm mechanism asin Vclaim 8, said lever extending over and contiguous said cover and arm when said arm, cover and cam are in their said first positions. 1G. A load arm mechanism as in claim 8, there being a notch in said ring, there also being a lug extending from said load arm radially of said fixed rod, a third shaft mounted in said cover parallel with said rod, first and second latches pivoted on said third shaft, said first latch having a hook releasably engageable in said notch in said ring when said cover is pivoted to raised position, said second latch having a nose releasably engageable with said lug on said arm to move said arm synchronously with said cover from operating to raised positions, and a spring engaging and urging said first and second latches into engagement with said ring and lug, respectively.

11. ln a load arm mechanism for a textile machine, a load arm, a cover member, means mounting said arm and member for rotation about a fixed axis, from a lowered operating position to a raised position, an abutment carried by said arm, said member when in operating position engaging said abutment to thereby hold said arm in operating position, latch means operable to fix said cover in operating position, a fixed detent, an abutment fixed with said arm for rotation as a unit therewith, a first latch carried by said member and engageable with said detent when said member ispivoted to raised position, to hold said member in raised position,

Va second latch carried by said member and releasably engaging said abutment to cause rsaid arm to move as a unit with said member by and in response to movement of said member into raised position, a spring urging said latches into engagement with said abutments, respectively, and manually operable lever means pivoted on said member and, in a first position with respect to said member when in operating position, actuating said latch means to maintain said member in operating position, movement of said lever means out of said first position acting to first release said latch means and Ithereafter move said first and second latches to release position 4against the urge of said spring, sequentially and in the order mentioned.

12. A load arm mechanism as in claim 11, said cover member including spaced, depending side Walls, first and second shafts mounted in spaced parallel relation by and between the side Walls of said member, said latch means including a part pivoted to said first shaft, said first and second latches, being mounted on said second shaft.

13. A load arm mechanism as in claim 10, said lever means overlying said cover member and arm when said arm, cover member and lever means are in first positions.

14. A load arm mechanism as in claim 6, said abutment having limited vertical translation relatively to said arm, and resilient means acting on said abutment to urge the same upwardly with respect to said arm.

15. In a load arm mechanism for a textile machine, a fixed rod, a load arm journal'ed on said rod for pivoting about the axis thereof and having roller-support means at its distal end, abutment means carried by the distal end of said arm, a member journaled on said rod for rotation thereon from a first position engaging said abutment means to` hold said arm in operating position, to a second raised position freeing said arm for pivoting to raised position, means fixed with said rod and including a projection, a latch pivoted on said member and engageable over said projection when said member is in its said firstpposition, and locking means mounted on said member and including a cam engaging said latch and operablefrom a first position holding said latch engaged with said projection, to a second position freeing said latch to thereby enable said member and arm to be pivoted as a unit to their said second and raised positions.

References Cited in the le of this' patent UNITED STATES PATENTS) 2,353,338 Hess July 1l, 1944 

1. IN A LOAD ARM MECHANISM FOR A TEXTILE MACHINE, A LOAD ARM COMPRISING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED HUB AND RADIAL PORTIONS, AN ABUTMENT CARRIED BY SAID RADIAL PORTION, MEANS MOUNTING SAID HUB PORTION FOR ROTATION ABOUT A FIXED AXIS FROM A FIRST OPERATING POSITION TO A RAISED POSITION, A MEMBER INDEPENDENTLY ROTATABLE ABOUT SAID AXIS BETWEEN SAID POSITIONS AND IN SAID FIRST POSITION ENGAGING THE SAID ABUTMENT OF SAID ARM TO HOLD SAID ARM IN FIRST POSITION, FIRST MEANS OPERABLE TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID MEMBER IN FIRST POSITION, SECOND MEANS OPERABLE TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID MEMBER IN RAISED POSITION, THIRD MEANS OPERABLE 